Knowledge and Resolving Dilemmas

 I heard this statement in a Vedanta discourse and it made so much sense. It helped me connect many dots.

"As you gain more and more knowledge, you will have more and more dilemmas".

Let's unpack this statement.

At first glance, it might sound - "It is better not to pursue more knowledge as it might be unproductive. Ignorance is bliss".

We arrive at this conclusion because of the belief that dilemmas are bad or unproductive. We consider the effect (dilemmas) "not good" and so we end up blaming the cause (more knowledge).

Let's define the two terms in this statement:

Knowledge - any input or information coming from an external source

Dilemmas - having to decide between multiple options or choices

Let's say, a person ABC is affected by diabetes, but he is unaware that he has diabetes. When a sweet is offered to him, he accepts without any hesitation. He might even go for a second helping.

ABC now receives the knowledge through a routine blood test that he has been diagnosed with diabetes. When a sweet is now offered, he is in a dilemma - to accept it or not. Even if he accepts the first piece, he will hesitate to go for the second one. The knowledge has caused the dilemma.

If his mind overpowers his intellect, he will succumb to his temptation and prioritize immediate pleasure. He might even go for the second piece.

If his intellect is more powerful than his mind, he will gracefully say NO without being upset about his choice.

For the intellect to make the right choice, the knowledge required:

• Awareness that he has diabetes
• Sweet foods will spike his blood sugar levels
• His health is a priority - for his own sake and his family
• By gracefully saying NO, he wouldn't be disrespecting the guest who offered him the sweet

Dilemmas help us evaluate life choices and take us to the subsequent levels in our journey - self-awareness, self-growth, or spiritual journey - however you might want to call it.

Resolving dilemmas with the help of gathered knowledge awakens our intellect.

Resolution with objectivity - taking into account, various inputs and making an informed decision with the available knowledge sharpens our intellect.

We raise ethical and moral questions in our minds. We do not merely follow the herd.

We use our intellect's discriminatory powers (to discern between right and wrong) more often.

There are two challenges in this process:

1. Dilemmas in terms of the quantity or the number of attributes have to be manageable, or else we might end up in choice paralysis.
2. If the mind also gets involved in resolving dilemmas, when emotions start to play a predominant role, the process of discernment gets affected.

Without knowledge, there is no conflict or confusion. There is no awareness. This gives room for people with malicious intentions to exploit our ignorance for personal or business motives.

When we approach life with the belief that ignorance is bliss, we end up being at the same spot where we started. Life moves on, and years roll by. It might seem blissful at the outset, but you feel a sense of vacuum or unexplained emptiness.

Knowledge helps to "activate" the inherent intellect present in all of us. The activated intellect gets charged every time we gain new knowledge and resolve more dilemmas.

Given this importance, we should prioritize seeking knowledge and continuous learning throughout our lives. Knowledge from reliable, trustworthy sources with the right intentions makes all the difference. 

The Joy of pursuing your interests

 In the Gita chanting class yesterday, an elderly aunty joined in from the hospital. She said, "I underwent knee surgery and couldn't join the class yesterday. I'll be here for the next three days and will join the classes".

It felt so inspiring to see her sincerity and commitment to attend the classes despite her present condition. I see many senior citizens participating in these classes with so much dedication. 

Consistency becomes easier when we are enjoying the process rather than wondering (or worrying) about the end outcome. 

The materialistic world has made us overly concerned about "What's in it for me? Does this give money, power, position, or fame? What's the use of putting in the effort? How do I extract value from a new idea/initiative? Is there a monetization opportunity?".

Such a result-oriented mindset takes away the joy of doing. The pursuit of curiosity merely becomes a source of identifying business opportunities.

Doing things just for the sake of doing is slowly getting lost OR pushed to the list of retirement hobbies to take up after 60. My question to such folks is - "Dude, how are you so sure you'll live up to 60?"

A simple question - "Why I do what I do?" brings a lot of clarity. Be it a stressful job, a business idea, a competitive exam, or higher education - this question is a MUST before we embark on them or even when we are too involved in such pursuits. Following the herd might sound like a safe bet in our 20s when we are unsure about our inherent nature and our interests. Once we gain that clarity, it is better to carve out our own path. 

Waiting to LIVE AND EXPLORE in the 60s/70s is a huge risk we are taking. It is dependent on multiple factors - the lifespan that is fixed for us, health conditions - both physical and mental, future responsibilities and challenges, and the state of society.

The 12-year journey of discovering myself

 Yesterday, I presented a day-long session on packaged foods and traditional food wisdom to a group of educators focused on sustainability.  It was an interactive session that was well-received by an enthusiastic audience. I was so glad to be in that state of "speaking" flow after a long time, sharing my thoughts on various topics I'm passionate about.

While preparing the slides, I decided to reflect on my personal journey in the last 12 years and created this slide.

My journey started with understanding about food and how food impacts our health. As I reflected, it feels like an organic shift from one area to the other. I felt guided and directed by the higher power while learning, embracing, and sharing about these aspects. 

It also feels like the dots have connected beautifully when viewed through this lens of body-mind-intellect. As I re-read some of my older posts on food, nutrition, habits, etc, it brought a happy smile as this blog is a raw documentation of this journey.

There were multiple ups and downs, failures, and disappointments in these 12 years, having tried various experiments. On a personal level, it has been highly fulfilling and impactful. Once the learned knowledge got assimilated, I have been mostly consistent with habits, and changes I have incorporated in my life. 

But as far as taking the learnings and insights to a larger audience, my persistence levels weren't long-lasting. I try a new idea/initiative for at least 6 months up to a year. If I don't see much traction, I move on to the next.

I no longer spend time on social media as a content creator. I'm now absorbed in this space of quiet reflection, along with lots of learning and handling my responsibilities. 

Judgment in complete awareness

 This happened a few months back. While attending in-person and online classes as part of my MSc Yoga, we had a hectic schedule with back-to-back sessions on various subjects. 

One of the subjects was "Anatomy & Physiology". Our faculty had a lot of topics to cover in the limited time frame allocated to her. Most of us found the lectures hard to follow as it felt like too much information packed into a few classes. We also quickly passed judgments and comments that the faculty could have done a better job. 

We got the recordings of all our classes and as we took time to go through them in the comfort of our homes at our own pace, we realized that the faculty has done a fabulous job of discussing the key points of all the major systems. Although the lectures felt super-fast during the sessions, they were easy to understand when we applied our complete focus and attention.

As I reflected upon this experience, a few thoughts emerged:

Many times, we make quick judgments based on our initial experience. 

When we engage in an experience - be it a new situation or a new person, do we have all our faculties available to make a judgment? 

Sometimes, our bodies might be too tired. 

Our senses might have too much to absorb.

Our minds might be overloaded with emotions and feelings.

Our intellect might be intimidated by too much information.

In such a state, is it wise to make a quick judgment? 

System 1 thinking, as elaborated by Daniel Kahneman, is at play in such scenarios when we quickly judge something or someone. Such thinking, though helpful in many life-threatening situations, has its biases and pitfalls. We have heard of this popular phrase - "Don't judge a book by its cover". One more addendum to this could be - 

"Don't judge a book when you are not fully available to peruse through its contents".

Before we pass a judgment in our minds, let's ask ourselves - "Are all my faculties active? Am I making this judgment in full awareness?"

Intellectual poverty

 Over the last few weeks, I have been following the political news more closely, thanks to the Lok Sabha election results. One of the tweets I came across on X said something on these lines -

 "Politicians and political parties deliberately want people to remain poor so that they are dependent on freebies and vote promises."

As I thought about this statement, I realized this strategy is equally relevant to the self-proclaimed gurus who have mushroomed on social media on various topics. They would want their followers to blindly follow what they convey through their posts/workshops/courses and remain poor in their intellectual abilities.

As long as their followers remain intellectually poor, these false gurus can keep offering one course after another, minting money, and generating multiple revenue streams.

How do they ensure their followers fall for the tricks in their playbook? Here are a few observations:

• Groupthink - Ensure more praises are sung by certain "loyal" followers in a larger community - Whatsapp/telegram, etc

• Scarcity principle and leverage FOMO - "This course is only available for 100 people", "I do this course only once a year" etc

• Create an "aura" embellished by extreme ideologies that makes people curious and inquisitive about the "guru"

• Share as many testimonials as possible to convince people that their courses are life-altering experiences. Are these real or fake testimonials - no one bothers to ask.

• Keep the course outlines vague. Use statements like "May bring clarity" to avoid commitments or confrontations.

• Discourage people from asking questions. Make them feel stupid for even having a question in the first place.

• Pass on referrals on related topics to their close circle of other "gurus" so that the followers are made to be collectively dependent on this elite group

• Call all other sources of knowledge "inferior" - books, family elders, and traditions/rituals so that people would always depend on them (or their close-knit circle) for life advice.

• Project a holier-than-thou image through carefully curated reels on the topic they call themselves an "expert"

• Never allow people to have an alternate point of view that contradicts what the "coach" says. And more importantly, do not allow such different voices to get heard in the community

These are some of the tactics by which the common people, especially women who are on social media are deliberately kept intellectually poor by these so-called experts and coaches. 

Goodbye to Instagram

A long pending one and I finally decided to bid goodbye to Instagram, a platform where I've been actively creating content for the past 10 years. Here's the post I shared with the reasons that influenced this decision:

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 This decision to quit Instagram has been running on my mind for the past few years, ever since the platform turned into a reel-based model.  The algorithm prioritizes content based on entertainment, gossip, fashion, lifestyle, and other topics, intending to increase materialistic desires in content consumers. 

This platform is no longer relevant for someone like me who loves the written word and likes to express herself through words. Book reviews, perspectives on life, habits, routines, and other articles/links/references shared as Stories no longer reach the audience in the first place.

Every article I write is first published on my blog, which then gets converted/customized to Instagram - creating the carousel posts, trimming the content to stay within the character limit, etc. This is additional work and given my other commitments, I started to question if this effort is worth my time, if it is NOT reaching the audience of 15K followers. 

For most posts, the reach is <1000. 

For most Stories, the reach is <500.

As I thought about my path ahead, I plan to immerse myself in Bharatiya Shastras and traditional texts - Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Itihasas and Puranas, works of Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Swami Vivekananda, along with going deeper into Yoga sadhana, while fulfilling my responsibilities as a grhasta (householder). 

A platform that deprioritizes Bharat and Hindu civilization (and prioritizes the so-called liberal views) is no longer a right fit and doesn't align with my goals. 

It has been a good journey in the last 10 years, sharing food pictures, recipes, book reviews, packaged food reviews, memes, and calling out money-minting influencers and self-proclaimed gurus!  

The platform provided me with an opportunity to connect with so many like-minded people. Thank you for your love, support, appreciation, and valuable time reading and commenting on my posts. I loved all our interactions and conversations.

I shall continue to publish on my blog when there is a sudden spark of inspiration or when I'd like to share certain perspectives, book reviews, and snippets from my learning.  

I also plan to create a WhatsApp community and will continue to share other resources/links/podcasts etc. If my content has resonated with you on this platform, do take a peek at my blog (once a week) for new posts. I'll share the Whatsapp community link on Stories for those who would like to join. 

Content-wise, nothing much changes going forward, except the medium to read the same:

Posts/articles => Blog

Links/references => WhatsApp community

Will keep the account open for the next few days to say goodbyes and to connect with you!

I also need to note down some of the old recipes that I had documented long back!!

Grateful to the platform and to the lovely readers who have been around all these years...It has been a memorable journey of content creation here. It's time to move on!

It no longer makes sense to me to be actively creating content on a platform that decides where "all our eyes should be"!

Prayers to all those pilgrims who lost their lives and to those who are injured in Reasi terror attack yesterday.

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Conveniences and consequences

 What are you getting used to now that could be detrimental in the long run?

A few years back, whenever I made idlis, I would look at the clock and remember the time to switch off after steaming for 10 min. The mind will have that active thought running, "Idlis on the stove, need to switch off at 7:25". 

Then Google Home arrived (it was a gift). In the initial days, it felt so funny and uncomfortable to give commands, but over time, I got used to it. As soon as idli plates were placed in the steamer, I would yell from the kitchen - "OK google, timer for 10 minutes", and I'd forget about it. After the timer rings, I'd go and switch off the stove.

This is just a tiny behavioral change. And there is nothing wrong with relying on technology to ease our mental load. But what we lost in the bargain - being aware, time-conscious, and mindful.

A similar change happened with remembering phone numbers. In the 2000s, I would have remembered at least 10 phone numbers of family members and friends. But nowadays, except for 2-3 numbers, I hardly know anyone else's. One could argue - "Our memory could be put to better use. Why waste it on such mundane stuff?" Think about it - Was our memory better when we used to remember such small, seemingly insignificant things or when we google every little fact or peek into our phones every few minutes? In my experience, my memory power (which used to be very good) has declined over the years.

These experiences and realizations are the effects of our actions in the past 10-15 years. Our present actions will have repercussions in the next 15 years. 

What are those habitual changes we are "getting used" to today? What are those conveniences we have adopted without much thought or contemplation? 

A few examples from an urban context include instant delivery of groceries, food, medicine, etc. We used to walk a few steps earlier to buy groceries or to grab a quick bite from a nearby eatery. We have outsourced seemingly mundane tasks like grating coconut, making idli batter at home, shelling green peas, making spice powders, etc. In the bargain, we have got extra time on hand. How are we making use of that time?

My intention is not to judge these conveniences and classify them as "good/bad" but rather reflect on what we expect to gain from them and adopt them mindfully, along with the awareness of what we might lose. 

An example from the Yoga world - Regular poses and movements that were part of our lifestyle have now become challenging to perform - asanas like Malasana, Chakki Chalanasana, duck walk, etc.

Gita Learning Process

 For any learning to happen effectively, there needs to be a strong purpose and a process. 

Purpose inspires you to get started and continue the journey. 

Process gives you guidance and direction.

Both work hand-in-hand to help us reach our goal.

Learning Bhagavad Gita is one of my wishes for this year and Krishna is graciously guiding me in that direction. March 4th is when I started my first class with Gita Parivar. The last 3 months have been such a beautiful journey of connecting with Krishna and diving into his teachings that is so relevant in today's times.

I use this spreadsheet to track my learning progress. The plan and process just evolved during this journey. The priority is to learn the correct pronunciation and understand the meaning of each chapter taught in the class. Contemplating and imbibing the learnings happens and will continue to do so without much deliberate effort, as the seeds get planted in the subconscious. This is a life-long study, as we reflect upon the meanings using the commentaries by different experts.

Shanti Mantras and their effects

 As part of MSc Yoga programme, I'm learning some of the Shanti Mantras from the Upanishads. When I went to the University for in-person classes early this January, I struggled during the Vedic chanting class and found it hard to chant the Mantras in the right meter and pronunciation. For the first 2 classes, our faculty asked us to listen and repeat after him (without any visual aid), similar to how learning was imparted in the Gurukul way of education (karna parampara). This was even more challenging for me, as I'm attuned to the visual way of learning. 

Once we received our books, it felt a little more manageable to look at the words and chant, but I wasn't confident. After multiple rounds of practice at home, I'm finally able to memorize and chant them. It is in no way close to a perfect recitation. But the reason why I wanted to share it here is the effect these Shanti Mantras have on our body and mind.

Shanti Mantras, as the name implies, are peace chants where we call upon different deities for the well-being and peace of everyone. The prevalent Shanti Mantras, typically chanted during Yoga classes are "Sahana Vavatu", "Asatoma Sadgamaya" and "Sarve Bhavantu".

Whenever I chant these Shanti Mantras, I feel a sense of calm and serenity. The brain feels relaxed, the mind is devoid of thoughts and the breathing rate slows down. Knowing the meaning of these Mantras makes it easier to chant with Bhava (emotion). For eg, through this mantra "Bhadram Karnebhi", we pray that we hear only good and auspicious through our ears and that we only see adorable and auspicious through our eyes.

Book Review: Ishvara in One's Life by Swami Dayananda Saraswati

 I read "Value of Values" by Swami Dayananda Saraswati sometime last year. He articulates his thoughts so beautifully and conveys the wisdom of Shastras to the present-day audience in a relatable way. I picked up the book "Ishvara in One's Life" from Blossoms. It's a 90-page booklet (with the perfect font size) where Swamiji explains how one can relate to Ishvara (the Divine).

He elaborates on certain qualities that make one an adult - the ability to be dispassionate and objective, detaching oneself from the various roles one plays in life and one's relationship to the total. 

He then discusses the qualities of the Divine - to be able to intelligently put together to serve a purpose, the maker of all, the all-knowledge conscious being. There were amazing insights in these chapters and I was nodding my head while reading a couple of chapters. As I study more about the anatomy & physiology of the human body, I can't help but wonder how meticulously and intelligently the human body is put together. The maker and the material cause are not separate. One has to deeply introspect on this concept and imbibe it to view the Whole as the manifestation of the Divine.

His arguments on why God is not a matter of belief were so thought-provoking. God has to be understood in the form of various orders that we observe in this Universe - physical, psychological, biological, and the order of Dharma. 

This is a gem of a book that needs to be revisited multiple times to comprehend the often misunderstood portrayal of God.

Can we change our opinions?

Can we change our opinions?

Can we change our beliefs?

Of course, we can. And we should. We review them periodically and change them based on new information and understanding. 

Swami Dayananda Saraswati says, "A belief can be defined as a judgment before knowledge. A belief, being a judgment before knowing, is subject to correction on knowing, on verification".

Many of my opinions and perspectives have undergone revisions and changes. To share a couple of examples,

(1) I used to think that following news was a waste of time and a drain on mental energy. I used to shut off from all news sources and be in total ignorance (haven't we heard the statement - ignorance is bliss?). But in the last year, I have changed this opinion of mine. What's happening around us - business/politics/administration/global events/policies, they all have an impact on us as individuals and on our families. Many new "-isms" are being forced upon us and on our children without our awareness. 

I follow the latest events and updates, but I try to build a boundary where I'm "informed but not get involved" - consider them as inputs for my intellect but not let my mind or emotions get affected by fear or uncertainty.

(2) I used to be a crazy fanatic of certain personalities (Sachin, ARR, Superstar). No doubt, they are excellent in their respective craft but I no longer blindly take inspiration for whatever they say or do. I have stopped having any admiration or adulation for popular personalities or influencers, having seen their true intentions that are money or power-driven.

Change is the only constant in life. It is perfectly fine to change our opinions as time goes by. 

What irks me the most is that when people build a business by sharing perspectives and opinions they have formed at a given point in time and which are bound to change in the future.  

Our scriptures and the various Darshanas (philosophies) give a lot of importance to Pramana (the source of truth). An evolving individual with limited life experience, a lack of scholarly wisdom, and wavering perspectives can never be the Pramana we can consistently rely on.

Learn skills from qualified experts.

Gather perspectives from a variety of sources.

Give priority to scriptures, scholars, and seers with dharmic intent.

Form your own opinions and beliefs.

Change or revise them when new information or experience comes by.

Book Review: Maturity by Osho

 

During a casual visit to Sapna Book Store a few months back, I stumbled upon this book. When I looked through the Contents, the chapter "Seven-year cycles of life" caught my attention. As I read through a few pages, it resonated with me deeply, and so were a few other topics. But the tiny font size was a blocker. I added the title to my Amazon Wishlist, merely for reference. 

I spotted a second-hand pristine copy of this title for Rs.180 during a recent trip to Blossoms. I decided to buy it, overlooking the tiny font size. What are reading glasses for? :-) 

According to the author, Maturity is accepting the responsibility of being oneself. He focuses on the topic of Maturity and the aspects that contribute to this growth. He repeatedly states that it is not the same as growing old, and he substantiates it by beautifully bringing up the differences between growing old and growing up in the first chapter.

Every seven years, a new age begins, and a new step is taken. This idea is similar to the popular song from Thalaivar's Baasha. The purpose of each stage, the changes associated with it, and how one deals with the challenges are well explained. 

What blew my mind was this line:

"And near the age of forty-two, religion starts becoming important for the first time". 

This has been my personal experience in the last 1-2 years and I was nodding in agreement.

He then takes the topic of Maturity from the perspective of relationships and emphasizes why Interdependence (not Independence) is the need of the hour from the point of view of love and marriage. This is exactly what I was ruminating about while watching "Laapataa Ladies" a couple of weeks back. Though I loved the whole movie, I don't quite agree with the dialogue by Manju Mai when she tells Phool that women don't need men. 

An individual progresses horizontally from childhood, youngster, and old age towards death. But there is also a vertical progress where one's consciousness expands. 

There are some interesting insights about menopause and how it is not just for women. The topic of Saying No vs Saying Yes is just brilliant. Saying No feels like freedom and intelligence. The author says, "The freedom that is brought by no is a very childish freedom". 

There are quite a few provocative lines though, which I decided to bypass and instead, focus on the many eye-opening insights the book is filled with. 

Highly recommend this book if you are looking for new perspectives on growth and maturity.